CBI: IB official planted AK-47

As battlelines got drawn between the CBI and the IB over the Ishrat Jahan fake encounter case, the agency is coming forth with more information on the involvement of IB officer Rajinder Kumar and pushing for his arrest.

The agency officials claim the evidence against special director Kumar is strong. But to avoid any crisis, the CBI may arrest him after he retires in July.

Kumar is already suspected of planting fake information regarding a Lashkar-e-Taiba plot to target Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, following which, Mumbra teen Ishrat and three others were killed in 2004. Now, the agency said he also supplied an AK-47 and helped get prior custody of two of the four persons killed. “The gun was planted by the police and shown as recovered from the terrorists,” said a senior officer involved in the probe.

“Besides electronic evidence like call records, which establishes Kumar’s being in constant touch with those who executed the murders, the CBI has also got evidence like witness testimony given before a magistrate,” he said. “Kumar’s custodial interrogation is required to get to the bottom of the conspiracy.”

The agency also summoned then police commissioner of Ahmedabad KR Kaushik, whose arrest also appears imminent in the case.

The inquiry has already involved chief public prosecutor Sudhir Brahmbhatt, who was close to former junior home minister Amit Shah, a key accused in Sohrabuddin encounter case.

Kumar’s role is also under scrutiny in the Sadiq Jamal fake encounter case. A leading human rights lawyer Mukul Sinha has demanded immediate arrest of Kumar.